Here is what I have:
Epox 8kha+
Athlon 1800+
Crucial 1x512 pc2100
ATI AIW (the original first run of these guys 32mb)

My goal is to be able to play D3 and HL2. Doesnt have to be the uber settings but the "medium" settings that D3 is playable at.

What I am looking at getting or would like to get:
ATI 9800pro 128mb
2x512 pc3200 (give me some good suggestions on solid, stable ram that wont break me)
new mobo with nforce 2 ultra chipset, 1 set of dual channel ram option
- this is where it gets a little messed up
I am interested in keeping my old 1800+ but obviously with the option to upgrade perhaps next year on processor or even late fall.
-with ram prices as absurd as they are right now, there is almost no price range difference between pc2100 and pc3200 sticks of the same size. So would it be in my benefit to buy one more identical 512 stick and run dual channel pc2100 or should I buy a new set of 512s pc3200 for dual channel and sell my old pc2100 512? Or perhaps the idea of getting such pumped up ram for a 266 fsb processor is crap and what i need to do is upgrade the processor and ram?

I am pretty solid on my graphics card decision - MSI ATI RX9800pro
Fairly confident I would like to keep processor... but i suppose if you were strong enough in your stance I could change my mind.

As for memory, you could do worse than Corsair PC3200 512MB Value. It doesn't sound like you really want to push the envelope, and this stuff can be had for relatively cheap. Normally, I'd only recommend that you get one stick since you're really not going to see the difference, but since you want to upgrade other parts of your machine in the future, getting 2 sticks is probably a better idea.

You're probably a lot better off getting a new processor in addition to a new motherboard if you're interested in HL2 and D3. An A64 2800+ with an Nforce 3 250 Chipset is a good combination for such gaming.

At some point in time I matched an Athlon XP1600+ to a brand-new GeForce FX5600ultra (well, it was brand-new some time ago) and used that setup for all of five days before upgrading the cpu. Framerates in NFS underground and BF1942 (like I said, it was some time ago) were almost identical to my old card, a GeForce256!

With a underpowered cpu - relatively speaking of course - you will never attain the frame rates your graphics card is capable of and you'll need that horsepower for D3/HL2. No need to buy top-of-the-line GHz's, midprice will run very decently.

And along with a new cpu comes the new RAM... definately agree with the Corsair suggestion. And then you really start spending as you realize you want it to run quietly! Kidding of course, silencing is possible on all budgets.

The AC VGA silencer is something I am considering. I am fairly new to the silent pc scene since it was never a concern of mine living in dorm rooms and not worrying about power consumption/noise levels since the biggest loudest brightest computer meant it was the fastest thing in the world and instantly gained you the title of "the kid that knows stuff about ocmputers." Anyways, I will definatley be considering many silence options once its all put together.

Any suggestions on a decent midpriced cpu(amd) to run at 400 fsb that wont bottleneck or hold back a 9800pro ati?

i just bought an abit nf7-s and an xp-m 2400 and am very pleased. yes, there's faster stuff out there, but i really don't need that speed and this upgrade was CHEAP. mobo and cpu totalled about $160 i think. 1GB ram will set you back at least another $160-200 i think (haven't priced ram in a while). it'll be a decent system, but it won't pwN doom3. if you're not looking for a budget system then A64's look very nice and can be kept quiet fairly easily. and of course doom will run better.

Now for the mobo. I am down to 2 choices. Abit NF7-S v2 or the DFI NFII Ultra Infinity.
I am sorta confused about the various chipsets. What is the difference between nforce 2 SPP that the abit has and the nforce 2 Ultra 400 that the DFI has? Does it have to do with Dual channel capabilities?? If I want the added benefits of Dual channel, should i get the DFI board because both the website for abit and newegg say noting about supporting dual channel. (I know i dont have 2x512 yet, but the wallet is only so big. There will be another BallistiX stick in the mail within a month or 2) So I want dual channel. I would imagine with such a popular board as the abit, someone would know if its just a typo that it doesnt have dual channel listed or if it actually doesnt have dual channel.

Also, if anyone can link me up to a very comprehensive understanding of the nforce 2, not 3, chipsets(difference between spp,ultra 400, I would be most appreciative. And yes, I did read the nvidia site and it was good but didnt clarify all my issues.

Abit NF7-S does support dual channel RAM. And it is a very good board.

However, since you are buying only one stick of RAM, the dual channel will not work for you until you buy a second stick. Dual channel needs two sticks to work. On any board. For the moment, you can stick with one and buy another later, of course.

In case you're interested... Both those motherboards are supported by 8rdavcore, which allows changing Vcore and FSB from Windows. Check out the official site, search the forums, and read Deep UnderVolt/Clock for more info.

It's a very similar rig to mine, I have the DFI Lanparty Ultra after a ropey experience with an Asus A7N8X Deluxe when trying to run a 200fsb CPU (Barton XP3200) with PC3200 Ram, after spending a lot of money exchanging the unbranded RAM for Crucial TwinX Pro (2x512 - and yes the second 512 makes a hell of a difference to performance) and having to underclock it I nailed the board as the problem

Anyway to cut a long story short, I am very happy with the DFI, good support in the form of a forum run by very technical guys and the bundle speaks for itself - only gripe I have is it lacks a game port... They reckon they are defunct, but I got an old Joypad that works a treat for certain games that I can't use

The MSI RX9800 was my latest addition - fantastic card. The VGA silencer is an absolute must because, although the stock cooling is excellent it was a damned annoying whiney fan that I could clearly hear. It was like having tinnitus!! You may want to pick up some ramsinks though.

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